Droppable tool for injecting fluids



Aug. 10, 1965 G. M. woon DROPPABLE TOOL FOR INJECTING FLUID Filed Sept.20, 1962 United States Patent O 3,199,596 DREPAELE T1391. FR HNJECTEIGFLUDS George M. Wood, Hairston, Een., assigner to Texaco inc., New York,NH., a corporation of Delaware Fiied Sept. 2t?, 1962, Ser. No. 224,944 8Ciaims. (Si. 16d-115) This invention concerns a tool for use in deepwell operations. More specifically, the tool according to this inventionis for use in operations involving the injection of a iluid atpredetermined locations downhole.

While various tools are known that provide for releasing fluids-contained therein within a well, none of these is adaptable fordropping into the well and thereafter ejecting a quantity of fluid at alocation as fixed by the position of tubing within the well. Thus, atool according to this invention is adaptable for use in many operationsincluding an improved manner of injecting a particular iiuid into agiven location downhole during or after the time when an injectivityprofile survey is being run. The improvement involved in the use of atool according to this invention, includes the benefits of eliminatingone string of tubing and reducing the quantity of particular tiuidneeded. These benets being those which accrue over the prior situationwhere a known arrangement is employed to inject a third fluid betweenthe upper and lower streams of an ordinary injectivity profile orsimilar procedure. t

Consequently, it is an object of this invention to provide an improvedtool for use in various procedures involving introduction of aparticular fluid at a given location in a deep well.

Briefly, the invention concerns a dropable tool for injecting fluid indeep wells wherein tubing is employed. Such tool comprises incombination an elongated tool body having landing stop means on theexterior thereof for cooperative engagement with complementary stopmeans in said tubing. The tool also comprises catch means for holdingsaid tool in place when landed in said tubing and a cylindrical chamberfor containing said fluid, The tool also comprises a piston in saidchamber for displacing said fluid from said chamber, and a piston rodfor moving said piston in said chamber, the said piston rod extendingout the top of said tool body ,and having an enlargement at theextremity thereof for engagement by an overshot. Finally, the tool alsocomprises a passageway for directing displaced tluid to a predeterminedlocation relative to said tool body, and comprises a latch for releasingat least a part of said tool from said landed position for withdrawal upthe well.

The foregoing and other objects and benefits of the invention will oemore fully appreciated in connection with the detailed description whichfollows and that is illustrated in the drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic illustration of a tool according to theinvention, as seated in tubing that is employed therewith;

FiGURE 2 is another schematic illustration, which shows a moditicationof the tool according to the invention also illustrating the tubingstructure associated therewith; and y FIGURE 3 is similarly a schematicillustration, showing still another embodiment or modification of a toolaccording to the invention but omitting the tubing that would beemployed therewith.

Referring to FlGURE 1, it is pointed out that the illustration indicatesa portion of a tubing string 11 that is situated downhole in a bore holehaving side walls 12 (shown on left side of the figure only) that it isdesired to treat by injection of a fluid at some particular locationvertically therealong. The location might be determined rice in variousways (or by combinations thereof) e.g. by having run an injectivity logor various types of density logs, etc. Then when the uid is to beinjected, it may be directed to the desired location by setting up a twostream injection with the interface between streams situated at thelocation. With the injection streams thus situated the tubing 11 (andtool therein) is vertically adjusted so that the point of release of theuid to be injected is opposite the location, i.e. at the interfacebetween injection streams. Consequently, when the fluid is released itis conlinedbetween the injection streams.

Within the tubing string 11 there is shown a tool 13, according to theinvention. It is generally elongated in shape and includes a tool body14 that has a chamber 1S at the lower portion thereof. Chamber 15 iscylindrical in shape and there is situated therein a piston 18 that hasattached thereto a piston rod 19. Piston rod 19 passes through a packinggland 22 situated in an upper wall 23 of the chamber 15. The piston rod19 extends all the way through the tool and out of the upper end thereofthrough a guide 24. At the upper extremity (when in a vertical positionas illustrated) of the piston rod, there is an enlargement 27 that isshaped for receiving an overshot (not shown) in order to be able tocause the iinid to be displaced, as will appear more fully below.

The tool 13 has an outside diameter such that it may free fall withinthe tubing 11 and thus insertion of the tool may be carried out afterthe tubing string has been made up in the hole, by dropping the toolwithin the tubing. When the tool reaches that portion of tubing string11 (usually near the lower end thereof) which contains a landing stopshoulder 28, a plurality of stop lugs 31 that are located on the outsideof body 14, will come in contact with stop shoulder 2S of the tubing andarrest the tool 13 at this position within the tubing.

The landed position (which is illustrated in FIGURE 1) of the tool 13brings into play a latch structure that will act to hold the tool inplace against any upward movement within the tubing. This latcharrangement may take the form schematically illustrated which includes ashoulder 32 located on the inner surface of tubing 11, spaced slightlyabove the shoulder 23. Shoulder 32 has a horizontal lower surface (whentubing 11 is vertical as shown) and a tapered upper surface so that asthe tool body 1d reaches its landed position, a pivoted latch arm 35will pivot when it comes in contact with shoulder 32 and then will fallinto place below the shoulder so as to hold the tool 14 against upwardmovement until released. The release of the pivoted arm 35 is effectedby the action created as a finger 36 (that is attached to the piston rod19) comes into contact with a pivoted lever arrangement 37 which willrelease the arm 35' so that a spring 33 may act to pivot the arm andthus release the restraining eifect of arm'SS relative to shoulder 32.It will be observed that this releasing action does not Vtake placeuntil after the piston rod 19 has been drawn upward sufficiently to4raise the piston 1S substantially to the top of chamber 15.Consequently, substantially all of the fluid which was contained inchamber 15 will have been displaced.

As the piston 13 is raised for displacing iluid contained in the chamber15, this uid is forced out through a plurality of tubes i1 that connectthe upper wall 23 of the chamber 15 with a corresponding plurality ofguarded openings or ports d2. The tluid thus flows out through the wallsof tool 14 at :a plurality of circumferentially spaced points locatedapproximately midway of the length of the tool body 14. In conjunctionwith the ports 42, there are a corresponding plurality of check valves43 that may take any feasible form and are illustrated as each having aball contained within the tapered portion of the corresponding port 42,While there is a screen 44 or other structure for retaining the balltherein. Such screen 44 is located across the mouth of each of the ports42.

It will be observed that when the tool 14 is in its landed positionthere are packers 47 and 48 locatedabove and below the longitudinallocation of the ports 42 (on the tool 14) but which packers are carriedby the inner walls of the tubing string 11. These packers act to coninethe tiuid flowing out of ports 42 on the tool 14, to a predeterminedlongitudinal location along the tubing string .11. At this locationthere are a ring of openings or perforations 51 through the walls of thetubing, in between the packers. Consequently, as fluid is ejected fromthe chamber 15 it is directed through the perforations 51 of the tubing11, and thus is injected into the bore hole at a predetermined depththerein depending upon the positioning of tubing 11 relative to the borehole walls.

In order to provide for flow of iluid within tubing 11 past the tool 13,even when the tool is landed for injecting iiuid through the tubingperforations, there is a by-pass provided. This includes by-passopenings 52 through the body 14 of the tool and situated somewhat abovethe ports 42 (when the tool is upright as illustrated) Suthciently to behigher than the upper packer 47, when the tool is landed in the tubing11. Fluid from the annulus between the tool 13 and the walls of tubing11 may then pass in through openings 52 and around the tubes 41 to againpass out through a ring of additional openings 53 that are locatedthrough the body 14 of the tool, just above upper wall 23 of the chamber15. It will be noted that openings 53 are also arranged longitudinallyalong the tool 13 relative to the stop lugs 31 so that the location ofthe openings is below the lower packer 48 when the tool is landed.Furthermore, it will be observed that passage for iiuid flow past thestop shoulder 28 is provided by having lugs 31 spaced apart peripherallyaround the body 14 of the tool.

In order to lill the chamber 15 with uid that is to be injecteddownhole, there is a valve structure 57 that might take various forms.In the form illustrated it is intended to indicate it as beingconstructed of soft material, e.g. rubber, inserted in an openingthrough the body 14 of the tool. The rubber insert has an openingtherein (not shown) which is normally squeezed shut, but through which ahollow needle or the like may be injected for providing entrance of theiiuid that is to be placed within the chamber 15.

At the lower end of the tool body 14 there is an opening 58 through thebottom wall, that is provided to allow well iiuid to enter as the piston13 is moved upward so as to avoid any back pressure on the piston.

It is to be noted that the illustrated elements of a tool according tothe invention, that have been Vso far described, are all schematicallyshown. Consequently, any feasible structure which would provide for theindicated actions and mechanical inter-relations involved could beemployed. Thus, there is no invention in any of the mechanical detailsper se, but rather in a combination of elements which have beenindicated schematically.

Referring to FIGURE 2, it is pointed out that this illustrates adifferent embodiment of the invention that may be employed for providinga greater volume of liuid to be injected as well as for injecting fluidclose to the lower end of the tubing string. In this modification thereis a tubing string 61 that is shown downhole beside bore hole walls 62.The tubing string 61 contains an annular shoulder 63 Within the tubing,which shoulder acts as a stop in the same manner as did shoulder 28 inthe FIG- URE 1 modification. In this instance there is a spring catchelement 66, situated slightly above the shoulder 63, with the free endof the catch downward. This arrangement provides for passage of aplurality of lugs 67 by depressing the free end of Athe catch 66 when incontact ktrated but only the tool structure alone.

therewith. The lugs 67 are attached to the outside of a body 68 of tool71. The body 68 is in general similar to the body 14 of the FIGURE lmodiiication.

Within the tool body 68, there is a concentric sleeve 69 that forms thewalls of a iiuid chamber 70 which has a piston 73 therein. Releasablyattached to piston 73, there is a piston rod 74 that extends upwardthrough the top of the tool body 68 and terminates in an enlarged member75 that is similar to the enlargement 27 of the FIGURE 1 modification.

It will be observed that the iuid contained in chamber 76 will flow(when displaced by movement of piston 73) through an annular passage 76located between sleeve 69 and the tool body 68. At the lower end of thisannular passage 76, there are a plurality of tubes 77 to carry the uidout through a ring of ports 78 that are substantially the same as theports 42 of the FIGURE l modification.- In addition, there are checkvalve structures in connection with each of the ports 78, for preventingany back iiow of well fluids as the tool is being dropped into place. yThere are a pair of packers 31 and 32 carried on the inside of thetubing 61, and situated on either side of a ring of perforations orholes 83 through the tubing. The latter are for permitting passagethrough the walls of tubing 61 of the fluid to be injected into theborehole. It will be noted that these packers (81 and 82) are locatedfurther down the tubing string 61 relative to stop shoulder 63, ascompared with location of packers and stop shoulder in the FIGURE lmodification. In the structure of this modiiication (FIGURE 2) the flowof fluid to be injected will pass through the tubing close to the lowerextremity thereof.

In this modification (FIGURE 2) the by-pass structure includes a ring ofopenings 86 through the body 63 of the tool 71. These are in generalnear the lower end of the body 68 but are sutiiciently spaced from theend to be located above the packer 81, when the tool is landed. In thiscase huid may ilow around the seated tool 71 from the annular spacebetween body 63 and the tubing 61, past the packers S1 and S2, bytiowing through openings 86 Iand around the tubes 77 thence out of loweropen end of tool body 68.

The release arrangement in FIGURE 2 is such that only the piston rod 74is freed, after the iiuid in chamber 70 has been substantially allforced out by movement of the piston 73 to the top of the chamber. Suchrelease is accomplished by providing a latching pivoted leverarrangement 87 that is carried on the piston rod 74. The latch holds thepiston 73 attached to the rod 74 until the trip arm portion ofarrangement S7 contacts a lug S8 that extends downward from a packinggland 89 which is carried by the top of the tool body 68. The indicatedcontact between the lug 8S and tripping lever structure 87, Will releasethe catch and permit piston rod 74 to be withdrawn uphole by theovershot (not shown) that is attached to the free end of a wire line.The tool body 68 and other elements are left downhole, and may -beremoved from the tubing after it has been withdrawn.

In this modification there is an opening 92 in the Vbottom wall ofchamber 70 which allows well liuid to enter below piston 73 and preventback pressure thereon. Also, it is to be noted that there are a pair ofValve elements 93 located in the walls of tool body 68 and in theconcentric sleeve 69 so as to permit filling of the chamber 70 in asimilar manner as was described above for filling chamber 15 of theFIGURE l modiiication.

Referring to FIGURE 3, it is to be observed that a modification of thetoo-1 is illustrated which provides for simultaneous injection into theformation of at least two fluids, if desired. In this instance, thetubing is not illus- It will be understood that the tubing elements aresubstantially the same as those illustrated in FIGURE 2. Furthermore,since most of the elements of the FIGURE 3 modification -are the same asthe corresponding elements of the FIGURE 2 modification, only theelements which are different need be described here.

The uid chamber is divided into two portions so that there is an upperchamber 96 and a lower chamber 97, each having a piston 98 and 99respectively, therein. Also, it will be noted that the passageway or uidas it is displaced from chambers 96 and 97 is divided into two separatepaths, one for each chamber. The uid from chamber 96 passes out throughtubes 102 via an annular passageway 101, While the iluid from chamber 97passes through an opening 103 in the concentric sleeve wall of thechamber 97 to a separated semiannular passage 104. The passage 104 isconnected to one or more tubes 105 for directing the tluid from chamber97 out of the discharge ports.

It will be clear that many diierent arrangements and modifications maybe made by any one skilled in the art without departing from theprinciples involved in this invention. Thus for example, it might bedesirable to modify this tool for reversing the iiow of uid with respectto the uid containing chambers, so that the tool would act as a downholeuid sampler. Furthermore, it is pointed out that a tool according tothis invention may have various applications and may be useful indifferent methods without change in the principles of structure of thetool itself.

While certain embodiments of the invention have been described inaccordance with the yapplicable statutes, this is not to be taken as inany Way limiting the invention, but merely as being descriptive thereof.

I claim:

1. A droppable tool for injecting uid in deep wells wherein tubing isemployed, comprising in combination an elongated tool body havinglanding stop means on the exterior thereof for cooperative engagementwith complementary stop means in said tubing, catch means for holdingsaid tool in place when landed in said tubing, a cylindrical chambermeans for containing said tiuid, a piston slidably movable in saidchamber means, a piston rod attached to said piston for moving saidpiston in said chamber means, said piston rod extending out the top ofsaid tool body and having an enlargement at the extremity thereof forengagement by an overshot, passageway means connected to saidcylindrical chamber means for directing the displaced fluid to apredetermined location relative to said tool body, means for confiningsaid displaced fluid to a predetermined longitudinal location in theannulus between said tubing and said tool and including openings in saidtubing for causing injection of said uid into the bore hole at suchlocation, uid by-pass means for providing a path aroundsaid conningmeansto permit circulation of uid freely through said annulus, and latchmeans for releasing at least part of said tool from said landed positionfor withdrawal up the well.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said confining meanscomprises packers in said tubing located above and below perforations inthe tubing at said predetermined location.

3. The invention according to claim 2 wherein said fluid by-pass meanscomprises openings through said tool body situated above and below theupper and lower extremities of said packers when the tool is landed inthe tubing.

4. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said latch means includesmeans for leasing the entire tool from the landed position.

5. The invention according to claim 4 wherein said latch means comprisesa finger on said piston rod for engaging said catch means after saidpiston has displaced the iluid.

6. The invention according to claim 5 wherein said catch means comprisesa'shoulder on said tubing and a trippable Elatch on said tool body forcooperation with the shoulder. Y

7. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said latch means includesmeans for releasing only said piston rod leaving the remainder of thetool for removal when the tubing is pulled.

8. The invention according to claim 7 wherein said latch means comprisesa trippable latch carried by said piston rod, and a tn'p lug on saidtool body.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,134,320 10/38Taylor 166-186 2,308,072 1/43 Granger 166-27 2,906,341 9/59 Kellner etal. 166-169 BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

1. A DROPPABLE TOOL FOR INJECTING FLUID IN DEEP WELLS WHEREIN TUBING ISEMPLOYED, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION AN ELONGATED TOOL BODY HAVINGLANDING STOP MEANS ON THE EXTERIOR THEREOF FOR COOPERATIVE ENGAGEMENTWITH COMPLEMENTARY STOP MEANS IN SAID TUBING, CATCH MEANS FOR HOLDINGSAID TOOL IN PLACE WHEN LANDED IN SAID TUBING, A CYLINDRICAL CHAMBERMEANS FOR CONTAINING SAID FLUID, A PISTON SLIDABLY MOVABLE IN SAIDCHAMBER MEANS, A PISTON ROD ATTACHED TO SAID PISTON FOR MOVING SAIDPISTON IN SAID CHAMBER MEANS, SAID PISTON ROD EXTENDING OUT THE TOP OFSAID TOOL BODY AND HAVING AN ENLARGEMENT AT THE EXTREMITY THEREOF FORENGAGEMENT BY AN OVERSHOT, PASSAGEWAY MEANS CONNECTED TO SAIDCYLINDRICAL CHAMBER MEANS FOR DIRECTING THE DISPLACED FLUID TO APREDETERMINED LOCATION RELATIVE TO SAID TOOL BODY, MEANS FOR CONFININGSAID DISPLACED FLUID TO A PREDETERMINED LONGITUDINAL LOCATION IN THEANNULUS BETWEEN SAID TUBING AND SAID TOOL AND INCLUDING OPENINGS IN SAIDTUBING FOR CAUSING INJECTION OF SAID FLUID INTO THE BORE HOLE AT SUCHLOCATION, FLUID BY-PASS